Three more exciting new birds: from Mt Lewis, a Blue-faced Parrot-finch and a couple of views of a Tooth-billed Bowerbird; from Julatten, a Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher. The latter was the reason for my trip and the others a bonus.
Sue
Blue-faced Parrot-finch above
Terrific shots Sue. Love the Kingfisher!
Fantastic shots Sue
Glad your having so much spotting success
That Kingfisher is an absolute stunner
Dont take life too seriously, it never ends well
Thanks for the reminder about the beauty of our wonderful bird life, Sue.
Thanks all, the KF was beautiful but only got a brief look this time and grabbed the camera without checking the settings. I'll have to return for a better picture but saw about a dozen new birds in this one week. The Parrot-finch is localised as well so I was very lucky. Seems the thing to do is travel in different seasons if you can stand the humidity.
Sue
whoa, great pics stunning birds. Is the birding hard up there?
do you need special skills and a guide with croc wrangling skills?
Wow sounds amazing! Love the Kingfisher but the Blue-faced Parrot-finch is a cracker as well. Didn't even know that one or the Tooth-Billed Bowerbird existed. You learn something every day.
As I had only the 2 nights at Julatten, I was lucky enough to share a guide for 10 hours with someone else. Seemed to be the best idea as she knew all the birds, their calls and likely areas. We wanted to see the Parrot-finch and there was good birding around Mt Lewis track. We covered the Julatten, Mt Molloy, Mt Lewis and Mt Carbine areas despite dealing with a stormcell in the afternoon. It was very dry up on the tableland so I hope the rain helped.
The Paradise-kingfishers have only just arrived but we saw them a number of times briefly. Apparently in a couple of weeks it will be much easier. They are checking out the small termite mounds around Julatten.
I could have spent the week just around Julatten but Cairns is easy birding along the Esplanade as the mudflats were teeming with waders. The Centenary Lakes, Flecker Gardens and Cattana Wetlands are other areas worth checking and there may be crocs there but I never saw any. Easy walking if you go early before the heat.
Sue
Sue, I recall that some years ago the Cairns Council (or whatever it might be called) was proposing the building of a humungous tourism complex smack bang on the mud flats, prime migratory wader territory. I remember writing to the mayor protesting at the silliness of such a plan but I don't think I ever received a reply. I'd like to think that his actions spoke louder than his words as it seems from your post that the tourism venture never proceeded!
Stunning shots Sue, agree with others regarding the kingfisher.
Woko, I lived in Cairns for a short while and ended up a regular visitor through my work for a fair few years. The "humungous tourism complex smack bang on the mud flats" that you refer to went ahead a long time ago. The country town of Cairns with tiny one way bridges over creeks that was home for me in the early 80's, are all gone. Cairns is now at least ten times bigger.
The tourist buck was and still is far and away the most important reason cited for the development of the Cairns Esplanade. Many visitors to Cairns frequently complained about the lack of a beach near the city, and said the mudflats were are an eyesore. The esplanade didn't meet the images of paradise envisioned when departing the airplane at the new large, modern international Cairns International Airport.
Samford Valley Qld.
Great shots Sue. I plan to get back up there soon. Magnificent part of the world.
Samford Valley Qld.
Such a shame, Reflex. My pleas obviously fell on deaf mayoral ears.
Shorebirds are becoming increasingly cramped for space. Let's hope the mudflats Sue refers to are safe from the developers.
Fingers crossed for the remaining mudflats. Birds are easily viewed from the Esplanade walkway while all those tourists wanting to swim have the artificial lagoon. There were numerous waders: Red-capped Plover, Tattlers (fighting!), Black & Bar-tailed Godwits, Eastern Curlews, Terek Sandpipers, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints, Sanderlings, Great Knots, Whimbrels, Grey Plover, Common Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Greater & Lesser Sand-plover, Black-fronted Dotterel, Reef Egrets... to name a few. Apparently at the far Northern end, there were Beach Stone-curlews but I did not get there. You had to time it with the tides. I am still sorting through them and honing my ID skills.
Sue
Nice photos - So many lovely birds that i have not even heard of and with very intriguing names
I hadn't even heard of the first two! Thanks for sharing
Ryu
Canberra
Aiming for DSLR-quality shots with a bridge camera
Ah, Blue-faced Parrot-Finch! I'm so jealous! I missed them when I was up at Julatten. And the kingfisher is lovely :)